Of Blood and Grit
by dragonmaiden50
Summary: A drunken Ichigo agrees to his roommates offer to buy him a prostitute. Little does he know this one decision will change his life forever. Bleach alternate universe, yaoi, smut, murder, rape, lemons, swearing, drug abuse, and grit.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I don't own bleach, but I do own this plotline.

This is for a friend who doesn't watch bleach which is why I gave the characters descriptions.

yaoi, prostitution, rape, drug use, drinking, and murder found in this story. ye be warned!

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Ichigo sat in the back of the lecture hall. He hated statistics. If it was not required to take a math credit your freshman year he would have ditched long ago. Ichigo was a tall slim boy with long muscular arms. He had vibrant orange messy hair that he kept short and deep chocolate brown eyes. He normally wore tight jeans and a simple T-shirt.

Finally, the clock read 4PM and he was free. Standing up, Ichigo accidently knocked into the girl that had been scooting around the back of his chair. The young red-head let out a little shout as her book went flying from her grasp.

"Oh…sorry," apologized Ichigo, picking up the book and handing it to her. She blushed and thanked him, using the book to cover up her enormous breasts.

"You're Orihime, right?"

"Yeah. What's your name?"

"Ichigo." The two walked out of the room and turned left as they followed the crowd heading towards the exit.

"Well I'll see you later Ichigo." Orihime called as she departed with the other off-campus students going to the parking lot.

"See you," he replied, waving.

The weather was grey; bland clouds hung over head letting a thin drizzle fall on the students below. Ichigo cursed his luck for not bringing an umbrella. It was a fifteen minute walk to his dorm and by the time he got there the drizzle had turned to a downpour.

He opened the door of his room to see his roommates, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, had already started smoking blunts without him.

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra where not your normal everyday guys. Grimmjow was a tall masochist with a thirst for fighting. In fact he was addicted to signing himself up for underground wrestling tournaments. He dyed his hair vivacious sky blue to match his eyes, and always had a confident smile on his face. Ulquiorra on the other hand was quiet and reserved. He hardly spoke or showed emotion. His long ebony black hair stood out against his albino skin and his green eyes shone bright against his colorless attire.

"You do know if the dorm head smells that in the hall you'll get kicked out," said Ichigo, grabbing the roll from Ulquiorra and taking a long drag. After a few more hits he handed the blunt to Grimmjow and fell on the bed. The pot was already lessening the edge he had felt all day.

"I'm bored," whined Grimmjow letting out a puff of smoke in Ichigo's face.

"What do you want me to do about it?" scorned Ichigo pushing the masochist away. Ulquiorra watched the two fight and sighed.

"Let's go drinking," suggested Grimmjow. "I heard there was a kegger on Jones Street."

"But I have an early class," stated Ulquiorra. The albino weighed his options of class or drinking. "Fuck it. I'll go with you guys. Besides I need to talk to Noitra again." Noitra was his drug dealer.

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Later that night the three figures were seen walking down Jones Street. The party was easy to find by the amount of loud laughter and swearing coming from number 15. They passed under the trees out front and heard a shout from something above. Ichigo looked up to see their buddy Renji sitting in the limbs above.

"Yo! Haha! Look I'm a monkey!" shouted Renji obviously drunk off his ass. The 'monkey' proceeded to jump down in front of Ichigo and fall back on the grass.

"How'd that feel dumb ass," chided Grimmjow from the doorway. Renji flipped him the bird before stumbling with Ichigo to the door. When they entered Ulquiorra passed them a round of beer.

Someone had started a game of beer pong in the dinning room. A few girls chatted on the sofa and chairs in the living room. Ichigo saw Orihime and waved. She waved back before continuing her conversation with the black haired tomboy next to her.

At around 2AM, Grimmjow held onto Ichigo as they walked down the street. Ichigo and Ulquiorra were only buzzed, and smiled as their light-weight friend rambled.

"I could really go for some cheese. I want cheese. I want sex too. Can I have sex with you Ulquiorra?"

"Later," replied the albino a little embarrassed at having to say it before Ichigo. Ichigo chuckled at his roommates love affair.

"Fuck," cursed Grimmjow, "Hey Ichi you a virgin?" asked Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow!" scolded Ulquiorra, his usually emotionless face now angry.

"What?"

"Yes, I'm a virgin," Ichigo confessed.

"Well then hell Ichi, we gotta get you laid. Hey Ulquiorra doesn't Noitra pimp?" asked Grimmjow.

"Yes but…"

"Okay I'm going to hook you up Ichigo. It'll be a belated Christmas present since I didn't get ya nothen'. Then me and Ulqui can go fuck. But first I need to buy cheese. I am craving some fucking cheese!"

After supplying Grimmjow with a block of chedder, they sat on the sidewalk taking shots of vodka from Ulquiorra's water bottle. Around the second shot Ichigo was getting hammered. He looked over to see his drunk roommates making out. The sight was really turning him on and his groggy brain recalled Grimmjow's earlier offer.

"Hey Grimm." The two broke off to look over at the younger red-head. "Let's go see Noitra."

Grimmhow slapped his hand against Ichigo's back sending the tipsy college student off the sidewalk.

"That's what I'm talking about Ichigo."

"Evening Ulquiorra. The usual?" questioned the extraordinarily tall Noitra as the three men stumbled forward.

"Actually, Grimm wants to buy Ichigo a whore."

"Really?" Noitra considered the unfamiliar red-head a moment.

"Oi, Ishida! Get over here!" Noitra called to a group of sexily dressed men and women. A young black haired bespeckled boy broke off from the pack and walked over.

"What?"

"Take him to a hotel. Give him a complete job."

Money was exchanged and Ichigo was dragged off by Ishida down the street to a shaddy hotel. Ichigo paid for a room and the men barracked themselves in for the night. Ishida sat down on the bed and gestured for Ichigo to join him. Ichigo did not move. His mind was in overdrive and his buzz was starting to lessen. Did he really wanna give his virginity to a man he had never met and on top of that a prostitute?

Ishida stood up and went to the now nervous young man.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Ichigo…Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Are you alright Ichigo?" Ichigo heard concern in the man's voice. He looked in his eyes, very aware of their close proximity.

"Is it your first time?" guessed Ishida, placing his hands on Ichigo's hips. Ichigo nodded numbly.

That's when Ishida leaned forward and pressed his lips against Ichigo's. The young man stood still for a moment as the kiss and booze short circuited his brain. Before the shock wore off, he kissed back, easily slipping his tongue into the other man's mouth. Ichigo's shaky arms encircled Ishida's back and pulled him closer.

It was then some rational part of his mind told him to stop before he got in to deep. He felt Ishida's hands leave his waist and start to unzip his pants.

"Wait." Ichigo grabbed Ishida's hands. "I don't know if I wanna do this. I mean I don't even know who you are?" Ishida stepped back, watching the teen grapple with his dilemma.

It was now Ichigo took in Ishida's appearance. He had a tight blue shirt that allowed you to see the lithe body beneath. He wore snug black pants and a pair of simple shoes. The young man had big bags under his eyes, sickly pale skin, and shoulder length hair he kept back in a small pony tail. Ishida pushed his square glasses up his thin nose.

"Can we…can we just talk?" asked Ichigo. Ishida raised his eyebrows. This was the first time a client had wanted to 'just talk,' but he went along with it. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh…I don't know? Do you…like sports?" Ichigo mumbled sitting on the bed. Ishida sat down next to him. The red-head was really nervous, now that his buzz was dying down. What the fuck did he think he was doing?

"No, I don't like sports." Ishida shoved his glasses back up his nose. "Do you?"

"No," admitted Ichigo, trying to think of small talk. "What do you like?"

"I like sewing."

"Sewing?"

"Yes."

An awkward silence followed.

Ichigo finally stood up and headed for the bathroom. Maybe a hot shower would clear his head.

"I'm going to shower," he announced.

"Did you want me to come with you?" asked Ishida. Ichigo pushed that thought out of his head before his hormones could grab it and tease him. He didn't want to have sex he realized. The man wasn't a product he could just buy and use. He was a person, and Ichigo was starting to feel sick to his stomach and guilty about the whole situation.

"No…I…uh…you can just go to bed." He shut the door leaving Ishida alone.

The young prostitute shrugged when he heard the water start. He slipped off his pants and glasses and climbed under the covers of the hard hotel bed.

Ichigo came out and slipped into the opposite side of the bed.

"Can I be blunt with you?" asked his bed mate who was completely concealed by the covers.

"Yeah," said Ichigo.

"Are we having sex or not?"

"No."

"Is it me? Do you want me to go tell Noitra to find someone else? Don't feel bad about it. If your not attracted to me that's fine. It's happened before."

"No, you…I do find you…uh…attractive," admitted Ichigo a huge blush on his face. In fact the man next to him could be considered downright gorgeous.

"Then why?"

"Because…It doesn't feel right. I was drunk when I agreed to this. I still am drunk."

Ichigo wished he was back in his dorm, but he knew Grimmjow would be pissed if he showed up early. He would at least pretend he had a 'good time' for Grimm's sake. He allowed his mind to drift.

"Why did you become a prostitute?" he finally asked.

"You know you are the weirdest client I have ever had," admitted Ishida.

"I'm sorry."

"No, that's alright," Ishida sighed and pulled back the covers to reveal his face. "Do you really want to know?" Ichigo nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Thanks my peeps for the much needed lovin'. It always makes my day to know my work is appreciated.

I am putting my story in the bowels of New York City vs. some Japan city. Why? Because 1) my alternate Universe 2) I live 45 minutes from the city and know it better then Japan or Kurakara Town. So I don't want no "Why is it in New York?" reviews.

This is a very sad chapter, so prepare your tissue boxes and huggles with your fav plushy/action figure.

Peace out

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Ishida had grown up in a good neighborhood on the outskirts of New York City. His father was a world renowned surgeon and owned his own hospital. Ishida had gone to the best school money could buy. He had a perfect life. The only flaw could perhaps be that his mother had sadly died shortly after he was born.

But there was a dark side unseeing to the viewing public. Inside the three bedroom two story house Ishida felt like an outcast. His father never spoke to him, too wrapped up in his work to care about his only son. No matter what he did, it was never acknowledged or praised. He remembered coming home from school when he was six years old and trying to show his father a drawing he had done in school. His father hadn't even glanced at him. Getting an A+ on his test meant nothing. No one came to his elementary graduation. No one wanted him. No one cared.

The only acknowledgement he gained from his father was that on every birthday his father's secretary gave him a gift certificate to a local sweet shop and toy store. He recalled going to buy his own birthday cake and present. He wrapped his present, sang himself 'Happy Birthday' with the one 'friend' that was allowed to spend the night, and blew out the candles.

It was a cold lonely existence.

So at the age of sixteen he finally went to his father and asked him why. Why didn't he care? Why did he never show his only son any kind of affection?

"Why should I give you praise over something you would have done regardless of me. It's a waste of time and I have better things to do."

He wished he hadn't asked. The next day he dropped out of his elite private school, packed his cloths, and took off for the train station. He left a note for his father telling him the address and telephone number of the apartment he had gotten. He never heard from the man again.

Ishida quickly discovered that life on his own was very difficult. He applied to a public school, intent on finishing his education. He joined the crafts club and found to his delight that he had an aptitude for sewing. With his new found talent he was able to make dolls that he sold on a stand in central park. However, the little stand barely paid for his tiny apartment let alone food and bills. So on the weekends he worked in a hotel as a bell hop.

For a while things went well. Ishida was able to support himself most of the time. He gained friends in school that cared about him. People in his craft club and others noticed his dolls and sewing handiwork. Granted it was a hard existence in which he always struggled, but he felt happy.

Then he met Mitch, a tall striking young man that lived on the floor below him. He had dark cropped brown hair and a warm smile. Ishida discovered two things about himself. One, he was gay, and two, he was in love. It was a long time and many talks and visits before he finally told Mitch the truth. Mitch hadn't taken it well. He had awkwardly admitted to Ishida that he was straight, showed him the door, and locked it. Ishida felt horrible. He wanted to kill himself. The man he loved didn't love him back, and worse he could never have a normal friendly relationship with Mitch without it feeling wrong.

He sunk into a depression. Now that he had openly admitted his sexuality some of his friends acted different around him. Others wouldn't talk to him. Do to his depression he lost his job at the hotel. Without his job Ishida couldn't pay rent, and the land lady had been forced to kick him out.

That's when the drugs came into place. In search for escape he started drinking and smoking weed. He remembered the first time he tried heroin. He had gone to drink at a bar that could care less if you were of age. In the back were a number of people shooting up. Too drunk to care and thinking it might be fun, Ishida had bought a hit and had the cold needle slipped under his skin.

The drug made him feel amazing. Probably the best he had ever felt in his entire life. He got addicted fast. It wasn't long before Ishida was a regular customer to heroin and other drug dealers. All his money went to drugs, leaving nothing for food or housing. His teachers at school noticed his absences and weariness. His friends noticed how he smelled like the back alleys and bars he slept in. Since he was still a minor, social services were called.

Ishida ran. He ran right into Noitra. Noitra made him a deal. Ishida would be a professional prostitute. All his revenues went to Noitra. In exchange he would have a place to live and drugs to fill his veins. For a desperate addict with nothing to lose it had sounded like a good idea at the time. Why not use sex to make money? It wasn't like he could do much else. He could even use his sewing to make spare cash that could get him back on his feet.

How very wrong he was. Once you step into the jungle of drugs and prostitution there is no getting out. Not until you're far past your prime can you escape, and if you make that long you're usually so full of STD's you die within years.

A shadow to his father. A freak to Mitch. An outcast to society. Shadow, Freak, Outcast. Shadow, Freak, Outcast. Shadow, Freak, Outcast.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

WOW!! Thank you thank you thank you. This has only been up a few days and I've gotten so many wonderful reviews, alerts, and favorites. *sobs* You Really Like Me!!!!! *end sob*

Not much happens in this chapter. It is more or less a lot of Ichigo musing and set up for Chapter 4. Hope you enjoy it.

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Ichigo woke the next morning to find himself alone in a cold hotel room. On the bedside table was a note. It read…

Thanks for last night.  
It felt nice to talk to someone for once.  
Yours Truly  
Ishida

Ichigo massaged his slightly throbbing head as he remembered the night before.

-flashback-  
Ishida stared over at Ichigo's incredulous face. What could you say after something like that?

"_Sucks about your shitty life. Wanna hear about mine?"_

Ichigo finally said, "I'm sorry." He did not know why he was apologizing, maybe because he had asked Ishida to talk about painful memories.

"It's alright," said the prostitute as he stared at the ceiling. "You know you're the first one to hear the whole story." Ichigo felt touched. It was an intimate moment between two very different people that by some chance had been thrown together, and Ichigo felt glad to be sharing Ishida's burden.

Ishida rolled over and turned out the bedside lamp. "Good night, Ichigo."

"How old are you?" Ichigo asked suddenly, not really knowing why.

"19."

"Oh…Good night."  
-end flashback-

Ichigo made the long, hung-over walk back to his dorm. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were cuddled together in Grimm's bed, both nude. Ichigo climbed into his own bed, intent on getting more sleep before his class at 3. His mind kept on wandering back to the night before. Ishida had suffered more than he ever had, and Ichigo suddenly felt intently grateful for his caring family and odd yet loyal roommates.

Ishida.

He lay in his bed, the name still echoing around in his head. It wouldn't leave him alone! Why did he feel guilty? He hadn't done anything wrong. So why was this guilty feeling plaguing him?

Because he knew. Because he knew about everything Ishida had gone through. Because the man…no boy. That was probably what made Ichigo feel the worst.

"_How old are you?"_

"_19."_

Ishida was the same age as Ichigo, and Ichigo felt guilty of his cushioned, well fed, happy life.

As Ichigo stared up at the dog-eared playboy poster he had hung above his bed, he suddenly came to a conclusion. He was going to help Ishida. No matter what.

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Ichigo walked briskly down the deserted sidewalk. He paused only to throw a couple of coins at the beggar in his refrigerator box home. God he hated New York sometimes. The city was an awful place if you were down on your luck.

He turned the corner, hearing the enticing crunch of grit beneath his shoes. There was Noitra. His tall figure leaned against the washed brick of the building. A soft glow of the street lamp cast a shadow on his eye-patch and lengthened his shadow to reach out to Ichigo like a black claw. The pimp kept a close eye on his whores working the walkway.

Ichigo's heart throbbed painfully when he saw Ishida trying to entice a man that had not seemed interested in any of the ladies. Thankfully, the man walked away shortly after.

"Oi! Aren't you Ulquiorra's friend?"

Ichigo focused his attention on Noitra. The man waved him over and the orange-haired boy obliged.

"What brings you here? Looking for some more action or you interested in some relaxants." Noitra cocked an eyebrow knowingly at the young man.

"Actually I was wondering if I could just talk to Ishida for a moment."

"Why?" asked the pimp, glancing at Ishida then back at Ichigo. He suddenly got an angry gleam in his eyes. "Did he do something wrong? 'Cause if that's the case just tell me and I'll take care of it."

"No," Ichigo replied hurriedly. "I just wanted to ask him something."

"Oh…well right now he's busy. If it's that important, I usually give him Thursday nights off. He goes to The Dungeon down on Franklin Street. You know where that is?" Ichigo nodded, as he tucked the information away. He looked over to see Ishida had left the sidewalk with some sleazy drunken women.

"_Thursday then."_

Turning on his heals; he walked away into the concrete jungle of the night.

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"Woo hoo. Take it off," chided the women in their tiny apartment. The two where obviously drunk out of their minds and had probably taken more then just alcohol that night. Ishida continued to do a sexy strip tease. He flexed his arms slightly as he tauntingly released another button on his shirt to reveal his shrunken stomach. He swore he had done this little routine a thousand times. It was so second nature that he let his mind drift.

Ichigo.

The boy from the night before had been on his mind all day. He recalled waking to see the young man snoring softly. His face was peaceful. Ishida felt an attraction to the unspoiled toned young man.

Ishida didn't know why he had answered Ichigo's inquiry, but he was glad he had. He felt warmer, less burdened, and relieved. He wondered if he would ever see the red-head again.

Now completely nude, the women gestured him to the bed. He sat with them, mechanically lying down and letting them maul him with their unkempt nails. They fucked him and told him to eat them out, but all the movements were mechanical. He didn't focus on his clients or the unwanted pleasure that laced up his body. He focused on Ichigo Kurosaki.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I would like you all to give a big round of applause to *drum roll* Krosso Heemskerk!!!

She is my new Beta and this chapter is dedicated to her because she made it not suck. YAY!!

Everyone who reviews this chapter get's a cookie.

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The Dungeon was a bar. It sat by a subway station and under a small secondhand dress store. All there was for an entrance was a door and a set of stairs that led to the basement of the dress shop. Inside sat an array of sordid characters drinking and watching the small TV that was stuck on ESPN. The place smelled of stale cigarette smoke and vomit.

Ichigo saw Ishida at a back table, sipping a bottle of ale while bobbing his head to the music that thrummed though his cheap MP3 player. When Ichigo sat across from him he did not seem overly surprised which meant Nnoitra told him about his earlier visit.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Ishida removed his headphones and tucked them into his jacket pocket.

"So what's up?" he asked.

"Uh...not much," Ichigo answered, a little unsure of himself. Why the hell was he so nervous?! "How 'bout you?"

"I'm doing as well as can be."

"That's good."

The two sat in companionable silence. Ichigo clicked his tongue as he absentmindedly swirled his high school class ring around his finger. Ishida watched the nervous man a moment before asking "Would you like a drink? You don't need an ID here."

"Sure." Ishida motioned for the bar tender to get them another round.

"Why are you here, Ichigo?" Ishida inquired once the beer had been set in front of him. It was not everyday a young man came to just chat with the prostitute he had almost lost his virginity to.

"I…I can't stop thinking about it, what you told me about your life. I want to help you, Ishida, in whatever way I can."

The prostitute blinked.

"I don't think you know what you're saying, Ichigo."

"But…"

"Ichigo, I'm a drug addict and belong to a psychopath. _I _screwed up _my_ life. It's nice of you to offer, but I think it would be better for your sake if you didn't get involved." Ishida stood. "It was nice seeing you again." He walked towards the exit and up The Dungeon's steps to the outside world. Night had fallen on the city. He headed toward the subway entrance.

"Hey!" called an angry voice. Ishida turned to see one of his regular clients swaggering down the street towards him. There was a smear of cocaine below his nose.

"I'm not on duty tonight, Szayel." Ishida made to walk down the subway steps when a strong hand gripped him and pulled. He found himself in the unwanted grasp of the creepy man. Whiskey breath made him wrinkle his nose.

"How 'bout jus' a kiss then? A kiss for ya ol' buddy."

"You're not my buddy, Szayel." Ishida attempted to pull away but his arms were securely pinned to his sides. "Nnoitra's gonna kill you if you lay a hand on me," threatened Ishida.

"Who says I'll let you live long enough to tell 'im"

"How 'bout me?" Ichigo's fist smashed into Szayel's skull, throwing the drunk to the ground. Ishida grabbed his arm and pulled the college student into the subway. Ichigo instinctively ducked when he heard swearing and a gun shot go off. The two men leapt the gate and jumped on the train, ignoring the shouts from the security guard.

The train was mostly empty. An older woman and her daughter glanced up as they sat down across from them.

"Thanks," said Ishida.

"Don't mention it. So what now?"

"I'll call Nnoitra, tell him what happened. You can stay at my place for a while. Syazel might come after us."

Ichigo nodded as they plunged into the darkness of the tunnel.

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Ishida had a small apartment in Brooklyn. It was only three rooms: a toilet, a very small bedroom, and a living room/kitchen that was taken up mostly by a couch and TV.

"Have a seat. You hungry?" Ishida asked.

"I'm fine," Ichigo lied. He slumped into the couch and rested his face in his hands. Ishida called Nnoitra and told him what happened. He skillfully left out Ichigo's and his conversation before the fight. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he sat down next to Ichigo and closed the cell phone. Ishida turned on the TV. Leno was chatting to some celebrity about her latest movie success.

"Ya know, this is the first time someone other than Nnoitra has sat on this couch," said Ishida.

"You should come visit my dorm sometime."

"Why?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I feel like you and my roommates would get along."

"What are your roommates like?"

"One is an albino emo and the other's a blue-haired, loud, masochist," described Ichigo.

"And how would we get along?" asked Ishida, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"We're all misfits." Ishida pondered this before nodding.

They talked about Ichigo's past. He had grown up in a small town in upstate New York on the Massachusett border. His best friend was a mammoth called Chad. He and his family had moved up from Mexico when Ichigo was ten. He recalled how Chad barely spoke English when they had first met.

Ichigo's father was a doctor that enjoyed tackling him, and he had two younger sisters.

"What about your mom?" asked Ishida.

"She died a long time ago," Ichigo answered a little mournfully.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She was a great mom," the red-head reminisced. "We were in the car coming home from my soccer practice. It was raining and an older woman lost control when she hit ice. We got into a crash that sent our car tumbling over the embankment. I don't remember much after that. I woke up a few days later with a broken leg and concussion to find out she hadn't survived."

"My mom got breast cancer when I was three," mentioned Ishida. The two men found comfort in having found someone that understood.

"So what music were you listening to when I came to the bar?" asked Ichigo, breaking their respectful quiet.

"Ever heard of Barenaked Ladies?"

"No." Ishida pulled out his MP3 player and fiddled with it before handing the headphones to Ichigo. He smiled as the alternative rock blasted into his ears.

"This is really cool."

"You wanna borrow the CD?" offered Ishida. Ichigo looked up at the sincerity in Ishida's eyes. You only lent your things to friends and people you hoped to see again.

"I'd like that," he answered.

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Ichigo woke up on the couch. His muddled mind briefly wondered where he was before memories from the day before came flooding back. He wearily got up to go to the bathroom. On the way he glanced into the bedroom. It was still early, and Ishida was curled up under the covers of his bed. Ichigo stared at the beautiful face that was completely tranquil in sleep. Warmth settled in his stomach and his heart started to flutter. Shaking his head, Ichigo slipped into the bathroom. When he emerged slightly damp from a shower, Ishida was at the stove.

"How do you like your eggs?" asked the bespectacled young man.

"However."

"Scrambled it is. You drink coffee?"

"Nah. What time is it?"

"8:30ish." Ishida handed him a plate of eggs. His own had a generous glob of ketchup on it.

"You eat ketchup with your eggs?" Ichigo stuck out his tongue in a classic 'yuck' look. Ishida grinned and took a bite. "I eat ketchup with my eggs any style," he said laughing at Ichigo's grimace.

After breakfast, Ishida walked Ichigo to the subway.

"I'll see you later," said Ishida giving him a quick wave and turning to head back to his apartment.

"Hey…uh, did you wanna hang out again next Thursday?" Ichigo asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, um, I'll give you my number." They traded phones and added themselves into contacts.

"Bye!" The orange hair disappeared into the subway.

Ishida was starting to twitch nervously. He was somewhat glad Ichigo had left early. He didn't know how long he could have gone without a hit. He went back up into his apartment and dug into one of his kitchen drawers, finally finding the syringe Nnoitra had given him last night. Hands shaking from his body's anticipation to get the substance, he pulled the needle out and stuck it into his left arm.

He felt a rush of euphoria as the drug quickly spread through his veins. As his high lessened, he felt the familiar feeling of warm sleepiness take over. Slumping into the couch, he let the drug take him on a roller coaster ride that he hated and needed at the same time.

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Ichigo fidgeted in his seat impatiently. Only another hour or so and he would get to see Ishida.

The class ended and he bolted from the classroom. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were still in class, so he put on Barenaked Ladies and let the music blast. Ichigo put on a new shirt and some cologne. He grabbed a comb he hardly ever used and began unsuccessfully to get his hair to behave.

"Hey Ichigoooo!" shouted Grimmjow as he slammed open the door. "Nice music. I can hear it all the way down the hall." The blue-haired man threw his signature 1970s Levi jacket against a chair before flopping onto his bed. He wrinkled his nose and glanced over to see Ichigo examining himself in the mirror.

"Are you wearing cologne?" Grimmjow said disbelievingly.

"Yup." Ichigo shrugged.

"You coming with us to the Halo party in the dorm next door. They're supposed to be setting up like five teams of ten. It's gonna be intense!"

"Can't. I have plans," Ichigo informed him.

"Doing what?"

Ichigo grappled with a quick lie. He didn't want Grimmjow to know he was going out with a prostitute, and, on top of that, the one he bought him a few weeks ago. Since Ishida was on his mind, he let the first thing he thought of fall from his lips.

"Sewing club."

"SEWING CLUB!! What the fuck Ichigo?! I knew you were bi, but not that kind of bi." His roommate stared at him. Suddenly, Grimm's eyes lit up as the light bulb turned on above his head.

"So who's the girl?" he asked.

"What?"

"You're wearing cologne and going to sewing club, so who's the girl in sewing you're trying to snag?"

"Oh…ah….no one," Ichigo replied, playing along with Grimm's assumption.

Ichigo left quickly before Grimm could get anymore ideas in his head. The college student didn't notice it, but there was a new bounce to his step. He had a warm smile threatening to spread at the corners of his lips. He dialed Ishida's number.

"Hello," Ichigo heard through the cell phone. He could instantly tell that Ishida's voice sounded slow and tired.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…yeah…fine. Listen could you come in like an hour from now?" Ishida pleaded. Ichigo got an idea of what the other was doing.

"I'll be over soon."

Ishida heard the click of the phone as Ichigo hung up. _Fuck,_ he thought. He had not wanted Ichigo to see him like this. Maybe he could get out before Ichigo got here. That idea was short lived as the depressant in his system kept him rooted to the couch.

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The ride on the train seemed longer than usual, and he practically ran to Ishida's apartment. He knocked before entering. The bedroom door was shut and there was an empty needle sitting on the kitchen counter.

Ichigo opened the bedroom door to see Ishida slumped against the wall. He looked up at the intruder with bleary bloodshot eyes.

"I didn' wan' you ta see me like this," Ishida told him as Ichigo knelt down. He took Ishida's arm. Tiny puncture wounds, both old and new, decorated the pale skin. Ichigo knew Ishida had said he was an addict, but now that he saw it he felt his stomach sink.

"I missed you," admitted Ishida making Ichigo look up from his arm.

"I missed you too." He smoothed away a strand of hair. Seeing Ishida look like this made the reality of what a friendship with Ishida was. It was a constant struggle against addiction.

"I'm gonna help you stop, Ishida. I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

No I didn't die. I was just uber busy with finals. So it took me like five times the amount of time to finish this chapter. THE REST IS PLOTTED! NEXT CHAPTER IS WRITTEN! So that should be up once I proof read, send to Krosso Heemskerk, she sends it back, I proof read again, and then post it. Expect at least a week to week and a half wait.

THANK YOU FOR BEING LOYAL READERS! I LOVE YOU ALL! HERE ARE SOME COOKIES! ROLL IN THEM!

and I don't own bleach :P

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Nnoitra liked Uryu Ishida. The boy hated watching the men at night mistreat his fellow female prostitutes. Ishida knew these women, and had at times been hired to sleep with them. He always defended them when one customer was getting angry or abusive. Ishida protected the girls and cantered to the women and homosexual men. In Nnoitra's opinion, he was an excellent find. He remembered the day he had found the teen.

He had been going to restock his supply of drugs. Nnoitra worked for a man named Aizen, one of the leaders of the drug industry in New York City. The man was responsible for almost 30% of all heroin, cocaine, and marijuana being traded, and the police were constantly after him.

On his way to meet with Aizen, Nnoitra had to walk into a dingy apartment complex. The whole building should have been condemned years ago, but, by the grace of the city, it was left standing for its attendants. One door was open. As he passed, Nnoitra heard a groan from within. Curious, he glanced inside to see a young boy huddled on the ground. The kid looked haggard, and an empty needle sat by him.

"Hey!" he called in. The kid jumped. He scrambled to his feet, and held up his hands in defense.

"Sorry," he said, the drugs slurring his speech slightly. "I didn' know whose apartment this was. I'll jus' go. My apologies." The young man made to walk by Nnoitra, but the pimp put his hand against the doorframe, blocking his exit.

"This ain't my apartment kid," he told the young man. "You got nowhere to go?" The teen shook his head, and Nnoitra beckoned for him to follow.

It might have been the drugs or just plain need for a direction, but the kid followed him. He got his drug supply and walked the boy back to his apartment. The two sat in silence on Nnoitra's small couch for several hours watching television.

Nnoitra examined the teen; nice build, cute girlish face, and a definite uke appeal that any seme (including himself) could go for. He was obviously living on the streets, probably due to whatever had been in that needle earlier. The pimp had been looking for a male prostitute, someone who could bring a new type of client to his side of the walkway.

"You got a job kid?" he asked.

"I would prefer you not to call me 'kid.' My name is Ishida, and at the moment I do not have a job," said Ishida. He pushed up his glasses. The high had worn off enough so he could think clearly.

"Have you ever considered prostitution?"

Ishida looked at him like he had a second head. "No. Isn't that more for women anyway?"

"Mostly women do it because there's more demand. At least that's what most people think," Nnoitra said. Ishida watched him intently, and he could see the gleam of interest in the teen's eyes. If he played his cards right, he might just get that male prostitute.

"But you know," he continued, "There's a whole untouched market out there for male prostitution. I mean, the gays and women have needs too."

Ishida nodded. That made sense.

"And you think I should become a male prostitute?" asked Ishida. Nnoitra smiled in response. The boy pondered the idea for a total of two seconds.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just show my way out." Ishida stood up and walked to the door.

"And go where? You got no home, no money, and from what I can see you haven't eaten in a while. I'll make you an offer: I'll be your pimp; you follow my rules, work for me, and help me protect my girls. In return, I'll give you a place to stay and drugs." Nnoitra watched Ishida stop. His hand rested on the door handle, though the will to turn it had left him. The hand finally fell limp at his side.

"Alright, but I should warn you, I have no experience in this type of business," Ishida murmured, not turning around. "I'm still a virgin after all." Defeat and disgust could be heard in his voice.

"Well, that's an easy fix," Nnoitra stood up and walked over until he was right behind Ishida. He leaned down over the teen like a giant spider cornering its prey. "I can teach you everything you need to know for this business, Ishida." He licked his lips as he admired the thin body. "Right now, if you want."

Nnoitra spun Ishida around. He slammed him into the door, pushing his body flush against the teen and holding his wrists down. The kid looked defiantly up at him, but the pimp could see the fear in the pits of his eyes. The glasses-wearing boy beneath him may look rebellious and brave, but he could tell underneath, he was terrified.

Ishida nodded hard once. "Fine, I'll do it."

Nnoitra leaned down and sealed their deal with a harsh, unfriendly kiss.

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Ichigo was on the bed beside him. Ishida admitted he was wary. The teen seemed to like him— even after almost losing his virginity, running from Szayel, and finding him drugged. He felt horrible. Ichigo shouldn't be here. If he got hurt…Ishida didn't even want to picture it.

Ichigo had barely left Ishida's side since he had found him on the floor several hours earlier. He had pulled the prostitute onto the bed. Ichigo now rested against the thin pillows, cradling Ishida against his chest as he waited for the drug to leave his friend's system.

"Ichigo," said the man who currently had his head against him.

"Yeah?"

"I can't do this. If you try and help me, Nnoitra will find out. He's dangerous," Ishida explained. He pulled himself off the other man, and reached over to retrieve his glasses from the night stand.

"I know this is dangerous, but I want to help you." Ichigo grabbed Ishida's hand before he could put the glasses on. "You look much better without your glasses."

Ishida was slightly taken aback by the sincerity in Ichigo's voice. Ichigo cupped Ishida's chin. The young prostitute felt a little uncomfortable from the scrutiny of those chocolate colored eyes.

Ichigo suddenly swooped down and claimed Ishida's mouth with his own. Ishida's eyes widened before he gave into the kiss. He hadn't been kissed like this in what felt like an eternity and he hungrily let the emotions overcome him. Ishida's whole body felt like it was on fire at every place it touched Ichigo.

Ichigo's heart was beating wildly against his ribcage. He let his eyes close shut as Ishida opened his mouth allowing him access for his wandering tongue. This felt so…so right. It was hard to describe. It felt like he was floating, and only Ishida's lips could stop him from flying away into space.

They broke apart unwillingly. Neither said or did anything for a long moment. Instead, they stared at each other's features, trying to permanently imprint the kiss in their memory.

"I have to leave soon, Ichigo. Nnoitra will be coming to collect me," Ishida whispered.

Ichigo pressed Ishida's head back down to his chest. The orange headed teen shook his head. "We can leave before he comes. I can't do it anymore. I can't picture you doing something so…"

A knock was heard on the door. Ishida swore and jumped from the bed, putting his glasses firmly on his face. "Don't make a sound. If he finds you here, there's no telling what he might do," hissed Ishida. Before Ichigo could protest, Ishida closed the door.

He spun around just as Nnoitra and several prostitutes walked in the room.

"Let's go," ordered his pimp. Ishida obediently followed, and closed the door on the apartment.

Several seconds later an emotionally distraught college student emerged from the bedroom, his mind made up. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed Grimmjow's number.

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Grimmjow walked up to the young prostitute Ishida. He eyed the man a moment, trying to decide if he liked the look of him.

Ishida instantly fell into his act. "Hi, can I help you?" he asked seductively, hating every minute of it. He vaguely recognized the man, though he couldn't remember from where. The blue haired client definitely hadn't slept with him before.

Grimmjow smiled evilly. "Yeah, actually, you can. How much is it for a blowjob?"

"You'll have to ask that man over there," Ishida jabbed a finger at Nnoitra. He watched Grimmjow go over. Money was exchanged. Grimmjow grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the road.

Ishida wished the man would slow down some. The grip on his wrist was really starting to hurt.

Grimmjow finally moved to a car at the side of the road. The door was opened from someone on the inside, and Ishida was pushed into the seat and Grimmjow followed.

"What the hell!? I…" Ishida started to protest until he noticed who was sitting next to him.

"Hey." Ichigo smiled. "You don't mind if we kidnap you right? I got all your clothes from your apartment in the trunk, and I bought a hotel room where we can hide until morning."

Ishida looked at him, not fully comprehending what he was saying. "You're kidnapping me from Nnoitra?"

"Yeah. Ichigo even got us to help cover your tracks," said Grimmjow.

"We figure when you go missing Nnoitra will come looking for me. We already got a whole story set up."

Ulquiorra sighed from the front seat. He hated Grimmjow taking this risk, but the blue-haired idiot had jumped at the chance once Ichigo had told them what was going on.

"We're going to make it look like you killed yourself," Ulquiorra explained. The black haired man weaved in and out of traffic erratically. Contrary to popular belief, Ulquiorra was a wreakless driver.

Ishida gawked at them. "Excuse me? Ichigo, this is crazy. You have to take me back!"

Ulquiorra squealed around another corner and stopped suddenly, throwing everyone forward.

Ichigo pulled Ishida from the car and down an alley with Grimmjow in pursuit.

Ishida's eyes went wide when he saw Grimmjow pull out a knife. Shit! "Hold on. What are you doing?"

"I'll explain later. Just trust me for now. We have to act fast if we want this to work," Ichigo informed him.

Ishida looked at the blade worriedly and then nodded reluctantly. They were all taking a huge risk for him, and the least he could do was trust him.

"Good, now take off your shirt."

Ishida did as was asked, exposing his upper body. It was cold out now that the sun had gone down. Grimmjow grabbed Ishida's hand and cut into his palm. They then smeared the blood onto the back of the shirt. Ichigo took out a gun. "Hold it," he ordered. Ishida took the weapon.

"That's it," Ichigo said now that the right blood and fingerprints were on the gun and shirt. Grimmjow took the gun and the shirt and threw them in a grocery bag. He checked his watch. "We're five minutes early. I'm going to go back to Ulquiorra. Good luck." And with that, Grimmjow left them in the alley.

Ishida was still shivering when Ichigo handed him a shirt. The teen took out some bandages and skillfully wrapped his hand in gauze.

"Let's go," Ichigo said excitedly. He led Ishida down the alley until they opened into a noisy, busy section of downtown. Ichigo led Ishida towards a small hotel across the street.

What they didn't notice was the pink-haired man watching them from the shadows. He adjusted his glasses before running down the street with a smirk.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

so um....lemon. BIG LEMON! Like most of this chapter is sex and kissing and hugging and all that...kindda...stuff.*runs*

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Ichigo flopped onto one of the two twin beds and sighed. The room was modest—two small beds, a dresser, bathroom, and tiny TV. "That was easier than I thought," stated Ichigo.

"Ichigo, will you please tell me what's going on? What the hell was all that about?" Ishida asked.

Ichigo lifted himself up on one elbow. "Well, when you left I called my roomies, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Grimmjow is going to pretend you gave him a BJ. Then, when he went to clean up, you found his gun and shot yourself. Panicked, Grimmjow throws your body into the Hudson. He then returns the 'evidence' to Nnoitra, complaining and so forth. Your body is never found and you disappear."

Ishida stared at Ichigo for a solid minute. He saw huge, gaping holes in the plan. What if someone he knew saw him? What if Nnoitra got mad at Grimmjow for allowing his prostitute to kill himself? He forced the worries to the pit of his stomach. It didn't seem too farfetched, and if they were really, really lucky Nnoitra might buy it. If he could get out of the city, he could disappear, and the story would hold.

"So now what?" asked Ishida.

"With Nnoitra gone, we can get you set up in a hospital where they can help you," Ichigo smiled.

"I don't have the money for that."

"My father's a doctor. I'm sure he can help us work something out."

"So…I'm free?"

Ichigo stood up and took Ishida's hand in his own. "Yeah. You're free, Ishida."

For the first time in a long time, Ishida truly smiled. He pulled Ichigo into a tight embrace. "Thank you," he whispered into Ichigo's shoulder. The orange-headed man held the back of Ishida's head and pulled him into a kiss. The two men relished the feeling of each other's lips. Ichigo deepened the kiss, gaining confidence when Ishida moaned. He kissed down Ishida's neck and stopped at the collarbone to nip and suck. Ichigo backed off, admiring the mark he had left.

Ishida put his hand firmly against Ichigo and pushed him away. Thankfully, he had better control over dealing with bodily pleasure. Though, actually liking the other person made it very difficult to walk away. He smirked at the look of confusion on Ichigo's face.

"I'm going to wash up," he explained. Pulling away, he moved into the bathroom, shutting the door soundly behind him.

Ichigo sighed as he heard the shower running. He rummaged into the rucksack filled with extra clothes and cash. He hadn't been sure just how long they would have to hide and had packed a week's worth of supplies.

Ichigo finally pulled out a shirt and some underwear he had gotten from Ishida's apartment. He knocked on the door and opened it before waiting for an answer. The sight before him made him as red as his namesake. Ishida was climbing out of the shower, dripping wet and nude.

"Shit…uh…clothes," Ichigo stuttered out. He dropped the boxers and t-shirt on the floor and rushed out of the bathroom. The college student closed the door and slid down against it. His hormones were already racing to inconvenient places of his body. Trying to hide his embarrassment and partial hard-on, Ichigo stripped down to his boxers and climbed into one of the beds.

He heard the bathroom door open and close several minutes later. Ichigo feigned sleep.

"I know you're awake, Ichigo," Ishida whispered in his ear.

The covers were pulled back and he felt Ishida slip in next to him. Ichigo gasped as a still naked and slightly damp body was pressed against his own. He turned his head to look at his bed-mate. Ishida leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss against his cheek. Ichigo's whole body stiffened and he felt the overwhelming urge to grab Ishida.

"Ishida, I've never felt like this about anyone before," he admitted. What those feelings were he wasn't sure yet. Love seemed like such a strange distant thing, but here it was, nudging him. Did he love—Ishida?

"Ichigo, I've never been with anyone who…" He couldn't admit that he liked Ichigo. All his life, love and care was something he never fully received—until Ichigo. The man next to him had known him for only a few weeks, and here he was, risking his life for him.

Ichigo finally broke the tension. He slipped an arm around Ishida and pressed their naked chests together. Ichigo bit and nibbled Ishida's bottom lip before kissing him. His arms traveled down Ishida's body, loving how the even, smooth skin felt. He felt Ishida shudder as he brought one hand to run lovingly over the more intimate parts of his being.

"Ichigo," Ishida moaned out between a sloppy kiss. He loved the way it sounded. He could love the pleasure coursing through him and not resent it. With Ichigo, Ishida could be free in his actions.

He ground his naked hips against the thin boxer cloth. Ishida felt Ichigo's hard tip poking out, and he made an effort to rub against it. Ichigo gasped as their groins met. Ichigo grabbed Ishida and pushed him into the bed, straddling him. He sucked down Ishida's chest, rolling his tongue over the young man's body. Carefully, he raised Ishida's left arm and kissed the puncture wounds there. They made his heart ache.

Ichigo kissed down the naked chest. He playfully trailed a wet tongue down Ishida's stomach. Not stopping, he licked the tip of Ishida's cock, causing the man beneath him to shudder. Ichigo took him in, bobbing slowly and loving the little sounds of pleasure escaping Ishida's lips.

Ishida was a little amused at Ichigo's amateur movements. He wrapped his fingers in Ichigo's hair and pulled slightly on the orange locks. Ichigo grunted and gave Ishida a particularly hard suck.

The ex-prostitute took Ichigo's hand and brought the fingers to his mouth. He covered them in a thin film of saliva. Taking Ichigo's wrist he guided the fingers to his opening. Ichigo got what Ishida wanted and pushed two fingers in experimentally. He stopped sucking when Ishida's face looked pained.

"Are you alright? Should I stop?" Ichigo asked.

Ishida shook his head. "It's a little painful to start off, but if you don't do this now, it'll hurt like a bitch later."

Ichigo let Ishida's experience guide him as he probed with his fingers. He sunk back down on the cock, using the blow job to distract Ishida.

"That's good," Ishida finally said. He pulled Ichigo up, wrapping his legs around him. Ichigo finally stripped away his boxers, allowing Ishida to admire the thick cock that was about to enter him. Ichigo claimed Ishida's lips and pushed in. He gasped at the tight heat around the most sensitive part of his body.

"Oh my god, Ishida. Fuck, you feel so good."

"Ichigo, make me forget everything. I don't want to remember being with anyone other than you."

The college student nodded. He started thrusting slowly. His hands found their way to Ishida's thighs and he kneaded the thin muscles softly.

It was hard to explain the burning feeling that was in both their chests as they rocked slowly, filling the little hotel room with soft moans and panting breaths. It was like fireworks. Their hearts were yearning, pushing against the skin and breast bone that was keeping them from touching.

Ichigo got faster with his thrusts. He pushed deeper, smacking Ishida's prostate. Ichigo came first, burying himself in Ishida and destroying what was left of his virginity. The young man grabbed Ishida's cock and beat him off.

Ichigo lay on Ishida as they caught their breaths. They sighed at the same time and then laughed at their dual reaction. Ichigo rolled onto the bed and curled himself around Ishida, spooning him. He yawned.

"Can I ask you something?" said Ishida.

"You just did, but sure, go ahead."

"Why did you get a room with two beds?" The question caught Ichigo off guard.

"Well, I didn't know we were going to do this. Maybe some kissing, but I didn't think you'd want to after…ya know—everything," Ichigo said truthfully.

"Everything?" Ishida turned his head to look Ichigo in the face.

"After having sex for a job, I didn't think you'd want to spend your first night of freedom….uh….doing it with me," Ichigo whispered.

Ishida smiled and kissed the tip of Ichigo's nose. "Thank you for that."

The two men closed their eyes in a feeling of bliss as the city around them continued on through the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Err.....gotten a few comments directed at OOCness. Sorry. I've tried to keep the characters fairly IC, but it's tricky. ;)  
Hope you like the chapter anyway.

Tite Kubo own Bleach.

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Szayel was feeling pretty smug as he strode up to where Nnoitra was standing. The pimp didn't seem overly upset, so Szayel was probably just ahead of the idiots trying to steal Ishida.

Nnoitra caught sight of the pink-haired man and growled angrily. "I thought I told you to stay away from here. You're never seeing Ishida and the girls are off limits."

"You're never going to see Ishida either unless you listen up Nnoitra," Szayel said, putting extra emphasis on the name. He arrogantly watched as the pimp studied him. Nnoitra suddenly grabbed Szayel by the collar and slammed his body against the brick wall.

"What did you do with Uryuu?" the taller man seethed. He was going to kill this little weasel if anything had happened to his property.

"That blue-haired fellow kidnapped him. In about five minutes he's going to come along with your whore's bloodied shirt and a gun," Szayel informed him. "I saw it all Nnoitra. Ishida's with some kid named….Innigo? Isaacgo?"

"ICHIGO!" Nnoitra fumed. It was that little orange-haired bastard?

"Yeah, that's it."

"Where are they?" Nnoitra asked, dropping Szayel.

"I forget. I could remember if you say… give me five thousand dollars."

"Three thousand."

"Four."

"Deal," Nnoitra stuck out his hand and shook Szayel's.

At that moment a blue-haired masochist walked up to them.

"Your prostitute's dead, Nnoitra. Fucking bastard killed himself," Grimmjow told the pimp. Before he could launch into his story, Nnoitra had punched him so hard he was laid out flat on the pavement. Grimmjow tried to get up, but a black boot landed on his chest. He gasped for air as it pressed harder.

"I already got that story, Grimmjow. You and that Ichigo are dead. No one steals from Nnoitra Jiruga." The tall man drew a gun.

BANG!

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Ichigo woke up the next morning, happier then he had been in ages. Morning was already well underway and he felt slightly guilty for sleeping so late. He reached over to find his bed mate missing.

He jolted in bed and looked frantically around the room. It was completely destroyed, as if someone had gone through every orifice in search of something. Ichigo heard a moan from the bathroom. Distressed, he ran over to find Ishida hugging the toilet for dear life as he vomited. He was still nude from the previous night's activities. Ishida wearily slumped to the floor. He was shivering violently, and his eyes were so dilated his irises were gone.

Ichigo swore loudly. He had been expecting this, just not so soon. He went back to the bedroom and shuffled through the debris in search of Ishida's treatment bag. After finding the young man drugged, he had done some serious research on heroin addiction. Withdrawals were like a horrible case of the flu times ten. It lasted about a week to two weeks depending on how long the person had been using it. While they were hiding, Ichigo could only try to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay until he could check Ishida into a rehab clinic.

Ichigo finally found the bag he was looking for. With relief, he pulled out Imodium, ten bottles of vitamin water and some xanax, a panic disorder medicine. Ichigo went back into the bathroom and offered the medicine to Ishida. He helped the addict swallow the pills.

"Ichigo, did you bring any?" Ishida asked anxiously after the college student helped him sip some water from the tap. Ichigo instantly knew what Ishida wanted.

"No, I didn't. I'm going to help you stop. It's going to be hard, but it'll be worth it," the redhead said firmly.

"But I NEED IT!" the addict protested. Ichigo tried to help Ishida stand, but the ex-prostitute slumped against him. With a grunt, Ichigo picked Ishida up and carried him bridal style to the bed.

He stepped back to look at Ishida curled up on the covers. In the daylight, he saw just how skinny the young man was. Each rib protruded from his chest and lifted with each tired pant. His stretched over his shrunken stomach was pale pasty skin that was now breaking out in sweat. Ichigo felt like crying.

He dug through the bags until he found some comfortable clothes. After dressing both himself and Ishida, he started to clean up the mess of strewn items. No doubt, Ishida had searched all morning for a needle.

With that chore done, the redhead's stomach decided it was time for breakfast. As if on cue, there was a soft knock on the door. Ichigo peered through the peep hole before throwing open the door.

Orihime and Renji stood on the threshold bearing a bag of McDonald's.

Ichigo saw the distress in their eyes. Something was wrong.

"What is it? What happened?"

"Grimmjow was shot."

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Ulquiorra was in shock. He was curled up in the waiting room of the ICU after finding his best friend and lover bleeding to death on the sidewalk. He hadn't cried _or_ begged for Grimmjow to stay with him as he rode in the ambulance. Ulquiorra could only sit and stare at the wall.

"You brought in the gun-wound victim?" asked the nurse. It was like electricity shot through him. He jumped up and grabbed the nurse's shoulders.

"Tell me he's alright. Please!"

The nurse calmly removed the hands that had a death grip on her. She was used to panicky family members in the ICU. "He's in surgery," she informed him. "But we need to know who shot him. The officer would like to ask you a few questions. Can you handle that?"

The nurse was comforting, Ulquiorra thought. He now noticed the cop standing by the door eyeing him suspiciously. "I can do that."

They led him to a small room where he had a very routine interview with the cop. Name, address, who did it, why, when, where, accomplices. Ulquiorra answered as best he could.

"We were just helping out our friend. He wanted to do an intervention for this guy he met, and Nnoitra was his pimp," the albino finished lamely.

"We've had Nnoitra in our records for a while. These testimonies might finally help us catch him. Thank you for your time. I hope your friend pulls through alright." The cop left.

Ulquiorra made his way back to the sitting room. He mindlessly shuffled through the outdated magizines on the table. He watched a burn victim, a car accident, and a heart attack go through the emergency door before the doctor came out. The white haired man looked very sad and aloof as he held his clipboard in a tight grip.

"I'm Dr. Ryuuken. Grimmjow is currently stable. He had a gunshot to the chest. Thankfully, it smashed into a rib which we think deflected it off to the side where it exited. He'll be on sleeping medication for the next few days to speed up the healing process. If you'd like to see him, I'll have the nurse show you in. But don't wake him." The nice nurse from earlier waved for him to follow over Ryuuken's shoulder.

In intensive care, Grimmjow was hooked up to five machines and an IV.

Ulquiorra walked in and sat down next to the unconscious body.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra whispered the name. He took the blue haired man's hand and gently kissed the index finger. Tears were slowly cascading down his cheek. "I love you. I know I haven't said it until now, but it's true. I know you love me too, although you don't tell me."

Grimmjow didn't even flinch.


	8. Chapter 8

I'M !!!!!!! Thank you for waiting for this entry the last chapter will be up tomorrow.

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Chapter 8

Orihime helped Ishida into a sitting position while Renji and Ichigo packed. They had to leave. Someone had seen them and spilled the beans to Nnoitra which meant he would be coming.

"Renji take Orihime and go," Ichigo said to his friend when they had gotten everything together.

"Fuck that Ichigo! You're in way over your head, and are gonna need all the help you can get," Renji argued.

"He's right," Ishida said, standing up with Orihime's help. "Ichigo it was a nice try, but maybe you should just all leave. I'll deal with Nnoitra."

"And what if he kills you Ishida!?" Ichigo screwed his eyes together trying to think of a plan. There had to be something they could do. "We can go to my house. My dad will help us and…"

"And what?" asked Ishida. "You wanna drag your dad and sisters into this too. He Will Find Us! He has connections EVERYWHERE! All he has to do is go to your school and get your permanent record, if he hasn't done that already." Ishida slumped down to sit into the mattress. His headache was slowly turning into a migraine. Sweating had caused the white t-shirt he was wearing to stick to his back.

"Then what do we do?" asked Orihime fearfully.

BANG!

The hotel door shook on its hinges.

BANG!

"Shit! We gotta go." Ichigo scooped up Ishida. Renji grabbed the duffel bags while Orihime wrenched open the hotel window.

BANG!

They pushed out the screen and scrambled onto the garbage cans outside.

SLAM! The door flew open, bits of the broken lock flying into the now empty room. Nnoitra stood in fury as his stolen property and the culprits fled down the alleyway behind the hotel. He ran for the exit, frightening the hotel staff who were quivering in fear behind the front desk.

"You didn't see anything!" Nnoitra shouted at them. He gestured with his gun for emphasis. Outside Szayel was waiting in the car. The pimp climbed in and the pinked haired man slammed on the gas.

Renji heard the squealing tires. He looked back to see the car race towards them. He seized Orihime and pushed her to the wall of the tiny alley. Shielding her with his body, the car flew by.

"Ichigo watch out!" Renji called. He ran after the car, leaving Orihime in a panic. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.

What happened next seemed to be in slow motion. Ichigo tried to move out of the way, but the extra weight of Ishida's sickly body leaning on him kept him back. The side view mirror smashed into the small of his back and shattered. Ichigo fell to the hard pavement, dragging Ishida with him. The car skidded to a stop. Nnoitra grabbed Ichigo and Ishida and threw them into the vehicle. The wheels screamed and the car was gone.

* * *

Ichigo kicked and struggled in the trunk. Both he and Ishida had been gagged and tied with duck tape. Nnoitra hadn't told them where they were going, but the shovels he had thrown in with them weren't a good sign.

Ichigo stilled, finally realizing his thrashing wasn't helping. He looked at Ishida who lay next to him. His eyes were dark, all hope gone from them. Ishida nudged his head forward enough to push his taped mouth to Ichigo's. Ichigo understood the meaning behind the simple gesture. This was probably the last time they'd be alive and alone together.

Neither boys cried at their fate, but their hearts ached at the idea of leaving life before they had truly begun to live it. They were both only 19, and what was the point of dying without experiencing anything meaningful?

They felt the car come to a stop. The trunk was opened to reveal Nnoitra and Szayel. Ichigo and Ishida were yanked out. Nnoitra pointed the loaded gun at them as Szayel cut open their bonds.

"Don't try to run. I'm a good marksmen, isn't the right Ishida." Nnoitra sneered as Ishida nodded stiffly. The pimp threw the shovels at their feet. "Dig," he ordered.

So that was how it was going to go down. They would dig their own grave before being killed. Ichigo gave him a threatening glare.

"No," the orange-haired boy snapped. Nnoitra frowned. He grabbed Ishida and shoved the point of his gun right in front of Ishida's left index finger. "Dig or he starts losing fingers."

Keeping his glare on Nnoitra, Ichigo bent down and picked up the shovel. The hard packed earth came up unwillingly. It wasn't long before he was sweating from exertion. He glanced up often to see Nnoitra still holding Ishida threateningly.

After what seemed like hours, Ichigo finally climbed out a large hole. He had dug slowly to give himself time to think of a way to escape or for help to miraculously come. However, both were snuffed out as the hole got big enough to fit the two small men. It looked like his only comfort was that he'd be spending death with Ishida by his side.

Szayel kept his gun pointed at Ichigo's head. Nnoitra smiled and pulled Ishida's limp body into his arms.

"Did Ishida ever tell you I was his first Ichigo?" Nnoitra said. Ichigo's eyes widened. "What do you say Ishida how 'bout I give Ichigo a demo? You think he'd like that?" Ishida stiffened as the grip on him tightened. The pimp leaned down and licked his tongue up Ishida's throat, causing the boy beneath him to lean away from the unwanted touch.

"Leave him alone! Isn't it bad enough you're going to kill us!?" Ichigo yelled.

Nnoitra continued kissing down Ishida's neck and bite down hard enough to draw blood. Ishida held back the whimper of pain that threatened to leave him. Nnoitra twisted Ishida's arms painfully behind his back, forcing his body to arch back.

"I said leave him alone!" Ichigo protested.

"You want some?" Nnoitra asked. He dropped Ishida on the ground and walked over to Ichigo. He punched him hard in the gut. The college student doubled over, attempting to breath. Nnoitra hit his head with his foot sending Ichigo into the dirt. Going over to the teen he kicked him. "This will…" Kick. "Teach you…" Kick "From taking my property…" Kick. Ichigo mumbled something into the ground. Nnoitra scowled and pulled Ichigo's bruising face up to his.

"What did you say?"

"He's not your property." Ichigo wheezed out before he was punched again.

"Nnoitra that's enough. Let's just get this over with and leave," said Szayel.

"I'll tell you when I'm done!" Nnoitra shouted at the drug addict. He pointed his gun at Ishida.

"Stand up and get in front of him." Ishida obediently stood in front of Ichigo. Both boys were shaking as they faced each other.

"This is your punishment Ishida. I'm going to kill him first and you're going to watch," Nnoitra said. He pushed the tip of his gun to the back of Ichigo's head.

So this was it. Ichigo's body felt cold and his heart sped up. Adrenaline pounded through his head, and every second he was still breathing seemed like an eternity. He felt like his life should be flashing through his eyes, but instead all he saw was Ishida. Ishida's pale, sweating, pained face was the last thing he was going to see on this earth.

"I love you," he said.

BANG!


	9. Chapter 9

Now the evil cliff-hanger author will reveal the ending of her fanfic. Thank you all for everything. Your names all belong as authors of this story b/c without you I couldn't have written it. This chapter is for you.

* * *

Ichigo winced at the gunshot. He checked his vital signs. Why was he still alive? He heard a thump behind him. Ichigo turned around to see Nnoitra dead, and a white haired man was holding a gun at Szayel's head.

"Father?" Ishida said in wonderment.

"Uryuu go get the duck tape from the car," Ryuuken instructed. His son stared at his father for a moment before getting up and obeying the order.

"What? How? HUH?!" Ichigo gawked.

"All in good time," Ryuuken told him as he bound Szayel. "The cops should arrive in about a half hour. In the mean time we'll take care of your wounds."

Ichigo watched like a statue as the man who looked so much like Ishida bandaged them with a first aid kit from his mustang.

The rest of the night was a blur. The cops showed up along with an ambulance that brought them to the hospital Ryuuken worked at. Ichigo and Ishida were both surprised when they were led to a recovery room with an unconscious Grimmjow. Ulquiorra woke up from the cot he had been sleeping on. Renji and Orihime were called. Everyone finally sat down and was filled in on what had occurred.

Then all eyes turned to Dr. Ryuuken. The white haired doctor ignored the curious stares he was getting from everyone in the room. Instead he carefully wiped his glasses and placed them back on.

"Twenty-seven years ago I used to work for a man by the name of Aizen. I was an assassin. I'm not going to tell you who I killed for him and I never will. One of my jobs was to help a young drug-dealer named Nnoitra take care of a teenage kid who had attempted to help the police find and take out Aizen. We drove out to this abandoned lot outside the city near the water. The whole thing was so traumatizing, I ended up leaving.

"Of course, not before I was given a warning that if I ever exposed Aizen, my family and I were as good as dead. That was one of the reasons I was always so distant from Uryu and his mother. I didn't want to risk them getting hurt should anything from my past come back to haunt me. I decided to become a doctor, figuring I could make up for the people I've killed by saving others. My wife died and Uryu took off at sixteen. I decided it was for the best that Uryu left, distance himself from me as much as possible. I did check up on him of course, although he didn't know. He went missing, and I lost all track of Uryu for three years. I was so worried. But…" Ryuuken paused. Although his demeanor stayed dignified his eyes grew distant with old worries. He pulled himself back together.

"Then yesterday, Grimmjow was brought into ICU after being shot by Nnoitra. The cop who received a testimony from his friend tells me that they were doing an intervention for my son. Nnoitra was most likely after Uryu and whoever was helping him. Knowing Nnoitra, I had a hunch at where he would bring you. I called in a few favors to confirm it, and you know the rest from there."

No one spoke for a whole minute after Ryuuken finished.

"Thank you, father," Ishida finally mumbled. Ryuuken nodded to his son.

"Visiting hours were over two hours ago. You boys get some sleep. I'll come check on you in the morning." The doctor strode out of the room. Orihime and Renji said good night, and helped a sleep deprived Ulquiorra leave.

Grimmjow had still not woken from his comatose-like state, but the nurse reassured the boys he was stable and should wake in a few days. Ichigo silently thanked his friend. Ishida was feeling better now that they had him on a special drug designed to help withdrawals, and Ichigo had a broken rib and black eye. They had all risked so much, but now it was over.

Ishida lay on his side watching Ichigo in his own bed. Ichigo eventually got up and wheeled his IV over. He curled up next to Ishida. There were so many words that needed to be said, but none of them seemed more favorable then just the shared silence. Ishida leaned forward and kissed Ichigo.

"I love you," Ishida told him. Ichigo felt all his body warm at those simple words.

"I love you too."

The experience had changed both men. They had learned of hardships and strength and love. And they hoped that in the long life of happiness that stretched out before them they would never again be forced into a world filled with blood and grit.

THE END.


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